Picture this: a rookie QB and a first-year head coach come on board to lead one of the most successful teams in the NFL—sounds like the setup for a classic underdog story, right? Except, instead of a feel-good Remember the Titans moment, the Patriots‘ 2024 season felt more like Game of Thrones Season 8—rushed, chaotic, and leaving fans wondering, “What just happened?”

Fast forward to now, and you can just say the Patriots are now giving the succession vibes. The return of Mike Vrabel to New England—this time not as a linebacker, but as their next head coach. Plus, the Patriots’ Executive Vice President of Player Personnel, Eliot Wolf, is gearing up to build a solid roster along with Vrabel for the 2025 season.

You see, Eliot Wolf is at the NFL Scouting Combine where he stated, “Certainly we feel like we’re a more attractive destination this year than last year.” That kinda sounds like a jab at Jerod Mayo. Translation? Well, brace yourselves, because we’re going to discuss some key roster moves of the Patriots. For starters, the team’s looking to strengthen their roster in free agency to use their no. 4 pick on the best player available rather than selecting based solely on a pressing need.

Wolf clarified that “ultimately, it’s my final say” on the roster decision, he’ll closely work with Vrabel to make major decisions to fill out the roster. Speaking of which, Wolf sees top-tier talent at running back and defensive line early in the draft, but when it comes to offensive tackles and wide receivers, the real gems might be hiding in the middle rounds.

Now, if we connect the dots, Wolf and Vrabel are prioritizing building a stronger O-line this year. And why wouldn’t they? I mean, the Patriots O-line was anything but smooth in the last season. They allowed 52 sacks, and Drake Maye was sacked 34 times. “The game is always won on the line, and that was before the Super Bowl,” noting the sacks taken by the QB. “We took some swings. Taking swings ultimately isn’t good enough. We went 4-13, we have to have results. We need to continue to improve the roster.”

Besides, Wolf later owned up to the Patriots’ rough 4-13 season, admitting that some of his roster moves—especially in free agency—just didn’t hit the mark. The bottom line—the New England team’s looking to build a strong supporting cast around Drake Maye by improving their O-line in 2025.

Now that the team holds over $13oM in salary cap space, Mike Vrabel and Wolf are surely looking to spend responsibly in this offseason. 

Mike Vrabel is ready to draft a DT from Michigan?

Talk about the 2025 NFL draft. This year’s class is stacked up with the top-tier defensive tackles—big, dominant DTs, ready to tackle the opposing O-line. Now that the Patriots have the no. 4 overall pick in this year’s draft, chances are high that the team has its eyes set on a DT. Go on, you can have your guesses. The odds are favoring that the Patriots are all set to draft projected top-ten pick Mason Grahan from the Michigan Wolverines.  

As the NFL Combine is underway this week, the Patriots have met with Graham. Besides, the guy just gave an ultimatum ahead of the NFL draft. “You know just how hard I work, you know, off the field stuff, I’m all about business,” Graham said at the NFL Combine. “No one’s really concerned about that. But you know, not a lot of, I’m not a mysterious guy. You don’t need to look deep into. You know me to find out about me, you know, everything’s out there. I don’t really (have) nothing to hide.”

Well, the 21-year-old DT had an impeccable collegiate career (as he says, he has nothing to hide). The guy won the National Championship in 2023 with Jim Harbaugh. Besides, his other accolades include Freshman All-American, 2x First-Team All-Big Ten. The DT stands at 6’3” and weighs over 300 pounds. In short, he’s a certified beast—big, powerful, and already stacking up a résumé that screams future NFL star.

On the flip side, the Patriots are in a desperate need to build their D-line. Christian Barmore had injury issues in the last season and the HC confirmed that his return in the 2025 season is uncertain. To get an update on their roster moves, we have to wait a bit more for the free agency. Because, at this point, it’s less about if they’ll make the move and more about when they’ll pull the trigger.